Verizon seeks OK to add data capacity to Downtown facility

The growing demand for more and more data by Ohio residents has led to plans by Verizon Wireless to nearly quadruple the size of its switching center near Downtown.

Steve Wartenberg, The Columbus Dispatch

The growing demand for more and more data by Ohio residents has led to plans by Verizon Wireless to nearly quadruple the size of its switching center near Downtown.

The company goes before the city’s Downtown Commission this morning for a conceptual review of the proposed $12.5 million addition at 289 Naghten St. This is the first step in the approval process.

The project calls for adding 25,000 square feet to the existing 9,000-square-foot building, according to plans that Verizon has submitted to the Downtown Commission.

“This will enable us to bring in more equipment that will handle our growing customer demand in Ohio for data,” said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Laura Merritt, adding this includes business customers and individuals.

This mobile and broadband data demand reflects “what people are doing with their devices beyond talking and texting, such as watching football games, or streaming music, watching YouTube or going on Facebook,” she said.

The additional capacity “is welcome news,” said Kenny McDonald, the chief economic officer of the economic-development group Columbus 2020.

“It’s important, especially here in Columbus, where we’re moving so many zeroes and ones to move our economy,” he said. “This type of infrastructure is just as important as the new runway (that opened last week at Port Columbus).”

Despite the size of the proposed Verizon Wireless building, it will require only a few additional employees.

“Sure, we’d all like to see a beautiful, 25,000-square-foot office building that would put a lot of people in it and populate the area,” said Stephen Wittman, chairman of the Downtown Commission. “ But, on the other hand, you need things like what they’re going to put there.”

Despite the utilitarian use for the building, Wittman wants to see an attractive finished project.

“We’re not so concerned with what’s inside, we want the outside to look good,” he said. “From what I’ve seen (of the proposal), it looks like a nice, brick building.”

According to the commission, the area “is typified by older brick commercial warehouses built in proximity to the Union railroad depot and newer utilitarian buildings.”

However, Wittman said the commission has approved a few residential projects in the vicinity and “the area is starting to fill in.”